Areva wants his new reactor Atmea serve as a reference as part of the agreement that the group has signed with EDF to build nuclear reactors of 1,000 megawatts (MW) third generation with China, said Friday an official from the public group.
A model that is not based on the Atmea, designed by Areva and Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, could compete with the new reactor for both partners.
"The fact that we have worked with MHI and that has made a major step in designing this new model is an asset Atmea a very important," said during a conference call Claude Jaouen, director of business services and reactors from Areva.
"We consider it would be a shame to have two reactors of 1,000 MW on the market at the moment players can relatively easily get to agree on one alone," he added.
"Rather than having a competitor that is Atmea another reactor developed elsewhere, the aim is that both converge to a single term, as far as possible, and that the market is the same, that is to say whether a change in Atmea, "he said activity director reactors and services Areva.
FAILURE OF NEGOTIATIONS IS NOT EXCLUDED
"I do not exclude concrete that can not be agreed at the end but anyway it's not the way in which Areva is committed and it is absolutely not the spirit in which we began these studies with EDF and (Chinese) CGNPC. "
The design of medium power reactors, for both China and other markets, addresses the need for nuclear power franç ; comfortable to broaden its range now reduced mainly to the high power EPR reactor.
"The current definition of specifications (the new reactor) should be completed by summer 2012 and, in parallel, there will be the determination of different ferent agreements necessary before embarking on further steps, particularly on issues of intellectual property and industrial and commercial scheme, "said Claude Jaouen.
The Elysee Palace announced in February 2011 that the development of a medium capacity reactor proposed by EDF with the Chinese would CGNPC through a comprehensive partnership with Beijing, which all actors in the French nuclear industry would be involved.
Areva and EDF, after signing an agreement in July technical and commercial marking the warming of relations between the two groups, finalized Wednesday a contract to supply uranium to the public electrician .